The present invention relates as indicated to an articulating part handling device in general, and to an articulating arm assembly therefor in particular in which the relative angular and axial movements may selectively be implemented to reorient the handled part as required by the application and the spacial confines of such application.
In various part handling applications, a newly formed part must be removed from a forming press and then reoriented for subsequent trimming or the like. For example, in the manufacture of automobiles, quarter panels are formed in a press and are then removed, inverted, and inserted into a trimming press. Several part handling devices are presently conventionally employed to effect the part movements just described for the automobile quarter panels.
Specifically, the part may be removed from the forming press by an extractor arm mounted to the head of such press. Such extractor arm, for example, of the type sold under the trademark LINARC by ISI Manufacturing, Inc. of Frazier, Michigan, includes a pivotal major arm having an angular lifting device with clamping jaw members at its distal end. Such jaw members are actuated to engage the lateral edge of a part when the forming press has completed its operation and has opened, and the major pivotal arm is then pivotally actuated to remove the part from the forming press and to swing the same through the arc of approximately 90.degree.. The free end of such part after describing its arc is deposited on a moving conveyor belt which imparts the remaining rotational movement to the extracted part to complete its 180.degree. turn over movement. In timed relationship, the extractor arm clamping jaws are released to permit the part to move down the conveyor belt.
While such extractor arm is operative to unload and flip the handled part, such movement is obtained only by gripping one limited portion of the part and then swinging the rest of the part thereabout in relatively uncontrolled movement onto the conveyor, which may result in damage to the part. Moreover, such part must then be subsequently handled by additional equipment to load the trim press or the like.
Alternatively, the part may be removed under more controlled conditions from the press in its formed orientation. However, such part must then be inverted and loaded into the trim press. To this end, several flipping or inverting arrangements have been developed. For example, an S-shape flipper, which is rotatably centrally mounted, may have each of its rebent reception pockets configured tightly to receive and nest the part delivered thereto by a first conveyor. Such nested part is then inverted by the S-shape flipper being rotated about its central axis to present the inverted, nested part to a second removal conveyor. However, such part as thus inverted must again be handled by additional subsequent equipment to load the same into the trim press. In addition, such S-shape flipper has limited, if any, adaptability for handling parts of differing configuration because the rebent reception pockets must tightly receive and nest the part for rotative inversion to minimize or eliminate part damage caused by uncontrolled movements and impacts.
Finally, a floor mounted flipper, manufactured by Atlas Manufacturing Co. under the trademark ATO, has been commercially used. Such ATO flipper moves the withdrawn part through a translatory path toward the floor and then over upon itself toward downstream handling equipment. Such ATO flipper requires significant floor space and subsequent handling equipment to place the inverted part upon the trim press or the like.
The principal object of the present invention is to invert and load or unload a formed part under controlled handling conditions. By positioning locating and holding the handled part, the present invention may perform the handling functions desired without part damage.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an articulating part handling device operative to load or unload presses or the like and invert the part while handled, with such device having the adaptability to handle parts of varying sizes in environments of varying spacial clearances. To this end, the articulating arm assembly has fixed and movable pivot points selectively to provide differing relative angular movements between the arms which may be coupled with selective variable axial movements between the distal arm and part carriage to provide the inverting and loading or unloading functions in the space permitted.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds.
To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then, comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and the annexed drawing setting forth in detail a certain illustrative embodiment of the invention, this being indicative, however, of but one of the various ways in which the principle of the invention may be employed.